Amritanubhava

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J

NANESHVARA

T

HE LIFE AND WORKS OF THE CELEBRATED THIRTEENTH

CENTURY INDIAN MYSTIC-POET by Swami Abhayananda

CONTENTS

Book One:

THE WORKS OF JNANESHVAR

Amṛit’ānubhava

Chapter One: The Union of Shiva and Shakti 6 Chapter Two: Salutations To Sri Nivritti 19 Chapter Three: The Requirements of Speech 32 Chapter Four: Knowledge and Ignorance 39 Chapter Five: Existence, Consciousness, Bliss 48 Chapter Six: Inefficacy of The Word 60 Chapter Seven: Refutation of Ignorance 78 Chapter Eight: Refutation of Knowledge 125 Chapter Nine: Secret of Natural Devotion 128 Chapter Ten: Blessings To The World 141

Haripatha

Changadev Pasashti

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Book Two:

THE LIFE OF *JNANESHVAR

Preface 181

1. The Historical Setting 184

2. Vitthal and Rakhumabai 191

3. The New King of Devgiri 195 4. Nivritti Finds His Guru 196

5. The Death of Vitthal 203

6. A New Beginning 205

7. Jnaneshvar Becomes Enlightened 215 8. The Creations of the Poet 219 9. A New Sultan Comes To Power 227 10. The Pilgrims of Pandharpur 235

11. On The Road To Kashi 248

12. Return To Pandharpur 252

13. The Siege of Devgiri 257

14. Treachery At Manukpur 261

15. Jnaneshvar’s Samadhi 264

Postscript 267 Bibliography 270

About The Author 272

* In modern Indian languages such as Hindi and Marathi the short a at the the end of words is dropped, so Jñāneśhvara –‘Lord of Wisdom’ is now pronounced Jnaneshvar. (Jñāna –‘Knowledge, Wisdom’, Īśhvara –‘Lord,

Ruler, God’)

Marathi has changed considerably since Jnaneshvar’s time, and is more obscure than, say, Chaucer’s English to present-day Maharashtrians; so there are now ‘Marathi Translations’ of His books!

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Book One:

T

HE

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ORKS OF

J

NANESHVARA

PREFACE TO BOOK ONE: The Works of Jnaneshvar

Jnaneshvar (1271-1296 CE) was a revolutionary, a pioneer in the expression

of mystical truths in the Marathi language. Prior to him, all such literature had been framed in the classical Sanskrit; and Marathi, the popular language of Maharashtra, had been regarded as unfit for the transmission of sacred knowledge. Jnaneshvar changed all that. And today, the people of Maharashtra honor Jnaneshvar as their greatest poet-saint; millions visit his tomb at Alandi each year, and his songs are still sung daily in temples throughout the land.

The reason that he is so revered and beloved in his own land becomes easily understood when we discover the poetic works of Jnaneshvar. Even in English translation, the profundity of his thought, the rich profusion of his imagery, and the unmistakable style of his homespun wisdom, not to mention his tender age, distinguish his works as those of a unique genius. If we insist on tracing the major influences in Jnaneshvar’s development, we must acknowledge first of all India’s great legacy of scriptures and philosophical treatises. Long before the time of Jnaneshvar, an ancient and exquisite literature existed, testifying to the mystical experience of the Self. Jnaneshvar was familiar with much of this literature; he knew the philosophical works such as the Upanishads, Shankara’s Vivekachudamani, the Shiva Sutras of Vasugupta, and many other ancient and contemporary commentaries by both Vaishnavite and Shaivite authors. He was especially fond of the literature of devotional mysticism, such as the Bhagavad Gita and the Srimad Bhagavatam; and was expertly familiar with the popular epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

There was also the influence of his brother and Guru, Nivritti. Nivritti passed on to Jnaneshvar the yogic secrets which had been taught him by Gahininath, a Guru of the Nath lineage. Essential to the tradition of the

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Naths is the necessity of having a living Guru who is able to impart, not only verbalized knowledge, but the very state of Self-realization, to his disciple. The direct experience of the eternal Self was said to be transmitted on the subtle level by the voluntary grace of a Master who was capable of instilling his own consciousness and energy into the disciple. Jnaneshvar was convinced by his own experience that Gahini had passed this supramental knowledge to Nivritti, and that Nivritti had passed it on to him.

It is worthwhile to note also that, during Jnaneshvar’s time and in his own region of Maharashtra, a popular mystical movement was already active and influential; it was the movement called Mahānubhava, which means, ‘The great [mystical] experience’. The Mahānubhavas were a group of mystics who placed great emphasis on the need to obtain this ‘great experience’ in order to truly comprehend the nature of man and reality. The movement seems to have been started in 1263 by a Swami Chakradhara who died around the time of Jnaneshvar’s birth. Its members eschewed idolworship, and allowed the initiation into the Order of

sannyasa (monkhood) not only to Brahmins, as was the traditional practice,

but to men of all castes and sects.

Some of the ideals and tenets of this sect were contained in the

Chakradhara-Siddhanta-Sutras of Keshobhasa, written around 1280, the Lilacharita of Mhaimbhata (1288), and the Rukminisvayamvara of Narendra

(1292). A woman poetess of this sect, Mahadaisa, wrote her Dhavale, a collection of devotional songs, around 1287.

Clearly the Mahānubhavas were very active around the time and place of Jnaneshvar’s creative years, and, though he is not thought to have been in any way connected with them, the very title of his spiritual masterpiece,

Amritanubhav, seems an obvious reference to them Jnaneshvar’s two

major literary works are Jñāneśhvarī (originally called Bhavartadipika), a book of commentary on the verses of the Bhagavad Gita; and

Amritanubhav (‘The Nectar of Mystical Experience.). In the West,

Jnaneshvar is justly famous for his Jñāneśhvarī, but his other works have received little attention or recognition here. In the present selection of his

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Traditional depiction of Saint Jnaneshwara. The book in front is the ‘Jnaneshwari’, His

commenatary on the Bhagavad Gita.

works, we have not included excerpts from Jñāneśhvarī, as that work had already been adeuately presented in the excellent translation by V.G. Pradhan. We have included here, however, his second major work, *Amritanubhav, in its entirety. Amritanubhav was written immediately after Jñāneśhvarī, and is Jnaneshvar’s free-style expression of the knowledge of the Self which he himself had obtained to the fullest degree.

Jñāneśhvarī, based as it was on the Bhagavad Gita, followed a

pre-established format; but in Amritanubhav, Jnaneshvar was able to follow his own chain of thought without the encumbrance of scriptural pre-conceptions.

In addition to Amritanubhav, included here in translation for the first time, are Haripatha (‘Sing The Name of Hari’),

a collection of devotional songs focusing on the value of chanting the name of God; and Changadev Pasashti (‘Letter To Changadev’) which Jnaneshvar wrote to a fellow Yogi as a presentation of the essence of his spiritual teachings.

*Amṛit’ānubhava may also be translated as ‘The Experience of the Immortal (Lord)’ or ‘The Immortal Experience’. (Amṛita–

‘Immortal, Divine Nectar’.

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T

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A

MṚIT’ĀNUBHAVA

THE NECTAR OF MYSTICAL EXPERIENCE

Chapter One: THE UNION OF SHIVA AND SHAKTI

It is only as a means of categorization that we may speak of Amritanubhav as a ‘philosophic work’ for Jnaneshvar was no philosopher, in the ordinary sense of the word; what he wrote was no mere speculation or theory, but was an attempt to explain what he had experienced first-hand in the mystical experience of Unity.

In that mystical experience, the individual’s mind experiences itself as the universal Consciousness from which the entire Universe is projected. It is an eternal and unlimited Consciousness, which underlies all phenomenal existence, and yet which is Itself entirely devoid of phenomena, being the Source and Producer of all perceivable phenomena.

It is the paradoxical nature of this experience which prevents it from being explicable in the terminology of conventional logic. For the mystic not only experiences himself as the one pure and unblemished Mind; he experiences, at the same time, the manifestation and de-manifestation of all cosmic phenomena within himself. It is unquestionably a Unity, just as an individual mind and its thoughts are a unity, but there are these two aspects to It: one, the eternal and unlimited Consciousness, and the other, the projected thought-image which is the Universe.

In Western theological terminology, these two are referred to as God (Theos) and His Word (Logos); in India, they are called ‘Brahman’ and Its ‘Maya’, ‘Purusha’ and Its ‘Prakrti’ or ‘Shiva’ and Its ‘Shakti’, depending on one’s preference.

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Jnaneshvar, in his earlier work, Jñāneśhvarī, which is a poetic commentary on the Bhagavad Gita, adhered to the terms for these two complements most commonly used in the Gita, namely, ‘Brahman/Maya’ or ‘Purusha/Prakrti’.

But when it came to writing Amritanubhav, his free expression of the knowledge obtained in his own mystical experience, he resorted to the terminology common to the Shaivite theological tradition, using the terms, ‘Shiva/Shakti’. As these two, Shiva and Shakti, represent the unmanifest Absolute and Its projected creative Energy, they form a unique relationship to one another; they are, at the same time, distinguishable from, and yet identical to, one another. They are conceptually and categorically two, and yet they are ultimately a unit. Shakti is the perceivable aspect of Shiva. Shiva is the invisible substratum of Shakti. Like the ocean and its waves, they are indivisibly one.

In this opening chapter of Amritanubhav, Jnaneshvar refers to these two principles, traditionally regarded as of the male and the female gender, as ‘the God. and ‘the Goddess. In this way, he describes in metaphorical fashion their relationship as an inseparable husband and wife, acknowledging their apparent duality, while continually harking back to their essential unity. He recognized the necessity, if one was to speak at all of their ultimate unity, to acknowledge the two complementary aspects of the One, and to distinguish between them according to their characteristics. Yet, to Jnaneshvar, who had obtained the ‘vision. of Truth, everything before his eyes was simply the delightful sport of God. To him, nothing else exists but God, and all talk of duality is misleading. As he says, ‘It is because of the union of these two [Shiva and Shakti], that the whole Universe exists. [Yet] their duality disappears when their essential unity is seen.

This, the opening chapter of Amritanubhav, is undoubtedly one of the most strikingly beautiful poetic expressions of this duality-in-unity ever written. In it, Jnaneshvar, the poet, portrays, with symbol and metaphor, that mystery which remains forever inexpressible in the language of philosophy and logic.

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Chapter One: THE UNION OF SHIVA AND SHAKTI.

Invocation

I take refuge in the God

Who is revealed in the person of the glorious Nivṛittināth. He is the one indescribable Bliss

Who is unborn, immortal, and ever-unchanged. I honor the divine Wisdom

In the form of the guru,

Who, overflowing with compassion, Showers His Blessings on all,

And whose commands point the way to victory. Though one, He appears as Shiva and Shakti. Whether it is Shiva joined to Shakti

Or Shakti joined to Shiva, No one can tell.

I bow to these parents of the worlds,

Who, by revealing to each other their oneness, Enable me also to know it.

I make obeisance to Shambhu (Shiva), That perfect Lord who is

The cause of the beginning,

Preservation, and end of the world; The manifestation of the Beginning, Middle and End of the World;

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THE UNION OF SHIVA AND SHAKTI

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1. I offer obeisance to the God Shiva and Goddess Shakti, The limitless Primal Parents of the Universe.

2. The lover, out of boundless love, Has become the Beloved.

Both are made of the same substance And share the same food.

3. Out of love for each other, they merge;

And again, they separate for the pleasure of being two.

4. They are not entirely the same, Nor are they not the same.

We cannot say exactly what they are.

5. Their one great desire is to enjoy each other;

Yet they never allow their unity to be disturbed, even as a joke.

6. They are so averse to separation That even their child, the Universe, Does not disturb their union.

7. Though they perceive the Universe Of inanimate and animate creation Emanating from themselves,

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8. They sit together on the same ground, Wearing the same garment of light.

From time past remembrance they have lived thus, united in Bliss.

9. Difference itself merged in their sweet union When, seeing their intimacy,

It could find no duality to enjoy.

10. Because of God, the Goddess exists; And, without Her, He is not.

They exist only because of each other.

11. How sweet is their union!

The whole world is too small to contain them, Yet they live happily in the smallest particle.

12. They regard each other as their own Self,

And neither creates so much as a blade of grass without the other.

13. These two are the only ones

Who dwell in this home called the Universe. When the Master of the house sleeps,

The Mistress stays awake,

And performs the functions of both.

14. When He awakes, the whole house disappears, And nothing at all is left.

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15. They became two for the purpose of diversity; And both are seeking each other.

For the purpose of becoming one.

16. Each is an object to the other, And both are subjects to each other.

Only when together do they enjoy happiness.

17. It is Shiva alone who lives in all forms; He is both the male and the female.

It is because of the union of these two complements That the whole Universe exists.

18. Two lutes: one note. Two flowers: one fragrance. Two lamps: one light.

19. Two lips: one word. Two eyes: one sight.

These two: one Universe.

20. Though manifesting duality, These two − the eternal Pair − Are eating from the same dish.

21. The Shakti, endowed with chastity and fidelity, Cannot live without Her Lord;

And without Her,

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22. Since He appears because of Her, And She exists because of Her Lord, The two cannot be distinguished at all.

23. Sugar and its sweetness

Cannot be separated from one another, Nor can camphor and its fragrance.

24. If there are flames, There is also the fire. If we catch hold of Shakti, We have Shiva as well.

25. The Sun appears to shine because of its rays, But it is the Sun itself, which produces the rays. In fact, that glorious Sun and its shining.

Are one and the same.

26. To have a reflection, one must have an object;

If we see a reflection, then we infer that an object exists. Likewise, the supreme Reality, which is one,

Appears to be two.

27. Through Her, the absolute Void becomes the manifest world;

But Her existence Is derived from Her Lord.

28. Shiva Himself became His beloved;

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29. Because of Her form, God is seen as the world;

But He created Her form of Himself.

30. Embarrassed by Her formless Husband And Her own graceful form,

She adorned Him with a Universe Of myriad names and forms.

31. In unity, there is little to behold; So She, the Mother of Abundance, Brought forth the world as a play.

32. She made evident the Glory of Her Lord By spreading out Her own body-form;

And He made Her famous by concealing Himself.

33. He takes the role of Witness Out of love of watching Her;

But when Her appearance is withdrawn, The role of Witness is abandoned as well.

34. Through Her, He assumes the form of the Universe; Without Her, He is left naked.

35. Although He is manifest, He, Himself, cannot be seen. It is only because of Her

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36. When He is awakened by Her, Shiva perceives the world;

Then He enjoys this dish She serves, As well as She who serves.

37. While He sleeps, She gives birth

To the animate and inanimate worlds; When She rests,

Her Husband disappears.

38. When He conceals Himself,

He cannot be discovered without Her Grace. They are as mirrors, each to the other.

39. When He embraces Her,

It is His own Bliss that Shiva enjoys. He is the enjoyer of everything,

But there is no enjoyment without Her.

40. She is His form,

But Her beauty comes from Him. By their intermingling,

They are, together, enjoying this feast.

41. Shiva and Shakti are the same,

Like air and its motion, Or like gold and its luster.

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42. Fragrance cannot be separated from musk, Nor heat from fire;

Neither can Shakti be separated from Shiva.

43. If night and day were to approach the Sun, Both would disappear. In the same way, their duality would vanish

If their essential unity were seen.

44. In fact, [the duality of] Shiva and Shakti Cannot exist in that primal unitive state From which AUM emanates.

45. Jñānadev says,

‘I honor the primal pair of Shiva and Shakti

Who, by swallowing up the sweet dish of name and form, Reveal their underlying unity.

46. Embracing each other, they merge into one,

As darkness merges into light at the breaking of dawn.

47. All levels of speech, from Para to Vaikari, merge into silence

When their true nature is realized,

Just as the ocean and the Ganges both merge Into the primal Waters

When the universal Deluge comes.

48. Then, the air, along with its motion, Merges into the universal Air;

The Sun, along with its brilliance,

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49. Likewise, while attempting to see Shiva and Shakti, Both the seer and his vision disappear.

Again and again, I offer salutations To that universal pair.

50. They are like a stream of knowledge

From which a knower cannot drink Unless he gives up himself.

51. When such is the case,

If I remain separate in order to honor them, It is only a pretended separation.

52. My homage is like that Of a golden ornament Worshipping gold.

53. When my tongue says the word ‘tongue’,

Is there any difference between the Organ which utters the word And the object signified by that word?

54. Although the Ganges and the ocean are different, When they commingle,

Are their waters not the same?

55. The Sun is both the source And the object of illumination; Still, it is only one.

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56. If moonlight illumines the Moon, Or if a lamp is revealed by its own light, Is there any separation here?

57. When the luster of a pearl Plays upon itself,

It only enhances itself.

58. Is the sound of AUM divided into three Simply because it contains three letters? Or is the letter ‘N’ divided into three

Because of the three lines by which it is formed?

59. So long as Unity is undisturbed,

And a graceful pleasure is thereby derived, Why should not the water find delight

In the floral fragrance of its own rippled surface?

60. It is in this manner, I bow

To the inseparable Shiva and Shakti.

61. A reflected image vanishes When the mirror is taken away; The ripples on the water vanish When the wind becomes still.

62. A man returns to himself When he awakens from sleep;

Likewise, I have perceived the God and Goddess By waking from my ego.

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63. When salt dissolves [in the ocean], It becomes one with the ocean;

When my ego dissolved,

I became one with Shiva and Shakti.

64. I have paid homage to Shiva and Shakti

By uniting with them;

Just as, when the outer covering

Of the hollow banyan tree is removed,

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Chapter Two:

SALUTATIONS TO SRI NIVRITTI.

Introductory Note

Jnaneshvar had experienced the ‘vision’ of unity; he had realized the Self of

the Universe; and he attributed this attainment to the initiating and nourishing grace of his brother, Nivritti. Jnaneshvar’s relationship to his brother was a unique one, for Nivritti was also his revered Guru. A fraternal relationship is a very special one, no doubt, but the relationship between a disciple and his Guru is one of utter, uncompromising, devotion. Jnaneshvar felt this kind of devotion to Nivritti, and looked on him as the very manifestation of God, a living form of the one formless Reality in whom resided the power of grace.

In the Nath tradition handed on to Nivritti from his own Guru, Gahininath, and in the Hindu tradition generally, the Guru holds a very significant place. Through his own Self-realization, the Master is said to obtain the power of transmitting his own elevated awareness to his disciples, through his touch, or glance, or simply by the power of his will. Even the words of the Guru have the power to profoundly affect the soul of the disciple. We can readily experience this elevating influence of the word as we read and absorb the words of Jnaneshvar, who, in this work, serves as Guru to the reader.

Such transmission of Self-awareness is called, in the Shaivite tradition, ‘Shaktipat. It is said to awaken I the disciple the latent Intelligence which, evolving in the disciple, leads him to Self-realization. This evolutionary potential is said to reside in a latent, or unevolved, state in all human beings in the subtle nerve-channel at the base of the spine. And when it is stimulated into activity, or wakefulness, by the guru, this evolutionary energy, known as Kundalini Shakti (‘the coiled energy’), begins its evolutionary ascent, rising through several different stages of awareness, corresponding to the ascending stages along the spinal column.

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When this intelligent energy reaches its full development, corresponding to its ascent to the top of the head, the disciple experiences the union of Shakti with Shiva; i.e., realizes his oneness with God.

The true Guru, who possesses this power, is therefore thought of by his

disciple as ‘the dispeller of darkness, ‘the grace-bestowing power of God. It is in this manner that Jnaneshvar regarded Nivritti, most sincerely and unreservedly, as synonymous with Shiva; and in this, the second chapter of Amritanubhav, Jnandev offers his fervent paean of praise to the Guru, worshipping him as the very embodiment of God.

Chapter Two

: SALUTATIONS TO SRI NIVRITTI

1. Now I offer salutations to Him

Who is the well-spring of the garden of sadhana, The auspicious conduit of Divine Will,

And, though formless,

The very incarnation of compassion.

2. I offer salutations to Him

Who comes to the aid of the Self Which is suffering limitation In the wilderness of ignorance.

3. I bow to my Guru, Nivritti,

Who, by slaying the elephant of Maya, Has made a dish of the pearls

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4. By His mere glance,

Bondage becomes liberation,

And the knower becomes the known.

5. He distributes the gold of liberation to all,

Both the great and the small;

It is He who gives the vision of the Self.

6. As for His powers,

He surpasses even the greatness of Shiva. He is a mirror in which the Self

Sees the reflection of its own Bliss.

7. It is by His Grace

That all the moon-phases of sadhana Culminate in the full Moon of realization.

8. All the sadhaka’s efforts cease

When he meets the Guru.

He is the ocean in which the river of activity has ceased to be.

9. When he is absent,

One wears the lovely cloak of appearance; When he appears,

The cloak of diversity vanishes.

10. The Sun of His Grace turns the darkness of ignorance

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11. The water of His Grace washes the soul so clean

That he regards even Shiva as unclean, And does not wish to be touched

Even by him.

12. He abandoned the greatness of His own state

To save His disciple,

Yet His true greatness has never been abandoned.

13. Alone, there is no happiness;

Therefore, the pure Consciousness

Assumes the forms of Guru and disciple.

14. By just a little sprinkle of His Grace,

The poison of ignorance is changed into nectar The nectar of limitless knowledge.

15. When knowledge discovers him within,

He swallows up the knower;

And still he does not become impure.

16. With His help,

The soul attains the state of Brahman; But if he is indifferent,

Brahman has no more worth than a blade of grass.

17. Those who faithfully endeavor,

Regarding His will as law,

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18. Unless the well-spring of His glance

Waters the garden of knowledge, There will be no fruit in the hand.

19. By casting a mere glance,

He makes the world of appearance Recede and vanish.

Though His conquest is great, He does not call it His own.

20. He has attained the great status of Guru

By possessing no status. His wealth is His ability

To rid us of what does not exist.

21. He is the rock of refuge

That saves us from drowning In the sea which does not exist. Those who are saved

Are released from time and space.

22. He is the calm and ever perfect sky within.

To that, the outer sky cannot compare.

23. From His Light,

The Moon, with her cool beams, is made; The Sun derives its brilliance

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24. He is like an astrologer whom Shiva,

Weary of assuming individual forms,

Has commissioned to find an auspicious time For the regaining of His own state.

25. He is like the Moon, whose form

Is not diminished, but enhanced, By the wearing of a gown of light.

26. Though present, he is not seen.

Though he is light, he does not illumine. Though he always is, he is not in any place.

27. How much more shall I say,

Using the words, ‘He’ and ‘who’? He cannot be explained by words.

28. He is indescribable.

In His unity, where there is no duality, Words become silent.

29. The object of knowledge reveals itself

When the means of knowledge cease to be. It is this non-being that He loves the most.

30. Though we may wish to have a glimpse of him,

Even that seeing, in His kingdom, Is a stain.

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31. When such is the case,

How could one find entrance to His Kingdom By means of praise or by reference to him? Even His name becomes merged in him.

32. The Self does not seek himself;

Neither does he conceal himself from himself. He merely retains a name

To serve as a veil.

33. How can he destroy what does not exist?

How can he be called ‘the destroyer’?

34. The Sun is called the destroyer of darkness,

But when did the Sun perceive any darkness?

35. That which is illusory becomes real;

That which is inanimate becomes animate; And that which is impossible becomes possible All through His marvelous sport.

36. Through your wondrous power, you create illusions;

And then you reject them as mere illusions; You are not the object of any kind of vision.

37. O Satguru, you are so mysterious!

How then am I to treat of you?

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38. You have created so many names and forms,

And destroyed them again through your power; Yet, still, you are not satisfied.

39. You do not give your friendship to anyone

Without taking away His sense of individuality.

40. If one tries to attach a name to him,

Even the name, ‘Self’ does not fit.

He refuses to be confined to a particular thing.

41. To the Sun, there is no night;

To pure water, there is no salt;

To one who is awake, there is no sleep.

42. In the presence of fire, camphor cannot remain;

In his presence, name and form cease to be.

43. Though I try to bow to him,

He does not remain before me As an object of my worship.

He does not allow any sense of difference.

44. The Sun does not become something else

In order to serve as a means for its rising;

Neither does he become an object for my worship.

45. By no means may one place oneself before him;

He has removed the possibility

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46. If you mirror the sky,

No reflection may be seen; Neither is he an object

Which someone may worship.

47. So what if he is not an object of worship!

Why should it seem so mysterious to me? But he does not leave any trace

Of the one who goes to worship!

48. When the outside of a garment is opened,

The inside is opened as well.

49. Or, as a mirrored image must vanish

When the object of reflection is gone, So must the one who worships vanish When the object of worship disappears.

50. Our vision is worthless where there is no form.

We are placed in such a state By the Grace of His Feet.

51. The flame of a lamp is kept burning continually

By the combination of the wick and the oil; A piece of camphor cannot keep it burning.

52. For, as soon as the camphor and flame are united,

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53. When he is seen,

Both worshipper and the object of worship vanish, As dreams vanish at the moment of waking.

54. By these verses, I have made a finish of duality

And also honored by beloved Sri Guru.

55. How wonderful is his friendship!

He has manifested duality

In the form of Guru and disciple

Where there is not even a place for one!

56. How does he have a close relationship with himself

When there is no one other than himself?

He can never become anything other than himself!

57. He becomes as vast as the sky,

Including the entire Universe within himself.

Within him, even darkness and non-existence dwell.

58. An ocean fulfills the needs of all,

Yet it cannot be fulfilled itself. Also, in the Guru’s house

Such contradictions happily live together.

59. There is no intimacy between night and day,

But they are one in the eyes of the Sun.

60. Although the supreme Reality is one,

Differences arise within It;

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61. The words, ‘Guru’ and ‘disciple’

Refer to but one;

The Guru alone exists as both these forms.

62. Both in gold and in golden ornaments,

There is nothing but gold. In the Moon and in moonlight There is nothing but the moon.

63. Camphor and its fragrance are nothing but camphor;

Sugar and its sweetness are nothing but sugar.

64. Although the guru and disciple appear to be two,

It is the Guru alone who masquerades as both.

65. When you look in a mirror and see your own face,

You realize that both are only yourself.

66. If a person awakes in a solitary place

When no one else is about,

Then one may be sure that he is both The awakened and the awakener as well.

67. Just as the awakened and the awakener are the same,

The Guru is both the receiver of knowledge And the one who imparts it as well.

Still, he continues to uphold the relationship of Master and disciple.

68. If one could see his own eye without a mirror,

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69. Therefore, he nourishes this intimate relationship

Without causing duality or disturbing the unity.

70. His name is Nivritti.

Nivritti is his splendor.

Nivritti is the glory of His Kingdom.

71. He is not the ‘nivritti’

Which means, ‘the absence of activity’:

72. That ‘Nivritti’ is the product

Of ‘Pravritti’, or activity; Just as night is necessitated By its opposite, day

He is not that ‘Nivritti’.

73. He is the pure and supreme Lord;

He is not the kind of jewel Which needs something else To cause it to sparkle.

74. The Moon spreads her soft light,

Pervading the entire sky; It is she herself

Who enhances her own form.

75. Likewise, Nivritti is the cause of Nivritti.

He is like a flower become a nose In order to enjoy its own fragrance.

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76. Would a mirror be needed

If one’s vision were able to turn back on itself

And perceive the fairness of one’s own complexion?

77. Though night dissolves, and daylight comes,

Is not the Sun unchanged,

Without the need to make an effort To return to himself?

78. Nivritti is not an object of knowledge

That requires various proofs To show that it exists;

There is no doubt that he is the Guru.

79. Salutations to the Holy Feet of the Guru

Whose actionlessness is absolute, Without any trace of activity.

80. Jñānadeva says, ‘This salutation to Sri Guru

Satisfies the requirements Of all the four levels of speech.

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Chapter Three:

THE REQUIREMENTS OF SPEECH.

In the Third Chapter, Jnaneshvar attempts to expose the error of confusing

relative knowledge with the absolute.

Knowleldge, which is synonymous with the Self. When the Self is experienced, It shines forth as all-comprehensive.

Knowledge, a Knowledge in which there is no separation between the knower and what is known. It is this absolute Knowledge which exists eternally as the Self at the subtlest core of our being. Relative knowledge, however, is the product of thought; and thought is anterior to that absolute state, representing a leap from the unitive awareness of the Self to a separative awareness, wherein the thinker becomes distinct from the object of his thought, and becomes a separate and distinct entity in a world of multiple entities. Absolute Knowledge consists of unity; relative knowledge consists of duality.

In the Shaivite philosophical tradition, the subtlest level at which thought emanates from the perfect Knowledge is called Para, corresponding to the subtlest body of man, the supra-causal body. This is where all thought impulses begin. At a less subtle level, called pashyanti, which corresponds to the causal body, the thought takes form.

And at the level called madhyama, corresponding to the subtle body, the thought is fully formulated and may be heard within. This thought is then uttered at the gross level, called vaikari, and emitted as speech. These are the four levels of speech; they are the consecutive degrees of expression of relative, or dualistic, knowledge. But this knowledge is not the absolute Knowledge; it is but a pale and dim reflection of it.

When the enlightenment experience, the revelation of the Self, wanes and passes, what remains is a memory, an intellectually formulable expression of that absolute Knowledge, but it is not that Knowledge.

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The Self may be formulated in thought and speech, but that knowledge in not the absolute Knowledge; for thought and speech occur only anterior to the breakdown of unity into subject and object, and arise only under those conditions. The attempt to describe the Self, therefore, is like the attempt to draw a picture of the water’s calm surface by stirring in the water with a stick; or like trying to express silence with a brass band.

As Jnaneshvar acknowledges, it is thought which brings the awareness to that degree of subtlety where it can experience itself as pure Knowledge, where all intellectualizing is transcended; but the difference between that pure Knowledge and mere intellectual knowledge is one not merely of degree, but of kind. Relative knowledge, Jnaneshvar rightly points out, is dependent upon its counterpart, ignorance, for existence; they are interdependent, and exist only relative to one another. Whereas absolute knowledge exists eternally, is independent of these two relative, opposing, states, and has no opposite, being all-inclusive.

In that pure, absolute Knowledge, there is no longer a separation between the knower and what is known. The knower knows himself to be all. He no longer thinks ‘about. a something; he is the thinker, the thought, the object of thought, on an infinite cosmic scale. In the aftermath of that experience, he may regard himself as ‘liberated, free; for he retains a knowledge of that Knowledge, which utterly transforms his way of looking at himself and the world. But, as Jnaneshvar points out, this knowledge, this ‘freedom., is not the real Knowledge and Freedom, which exists in Itself, beyond the duality of knower and known

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Chapter Three:

THE REQUIREMENTS OF SPEECH

1. It is the calling aloud of these four levels of speech

That awakens the Self;

But even this waking is a kind of sleep.

2. It is true that these four levels of speech

Are conducive to soul-liberation,

But, with the destruction of ignorance, These also are destroyed.

3. Just as hands and feet depart along with the body

At the time of death,

Or, as the subtle senses depart along with the mind, Or, as the Sun’s rays depart with the setting Sun,

4. Or, as dreams depart when sleep comes to an end,

So the four levels of speech depart Along with ignorance.

5. When iron is burned, it continues to exist as liquid;

Fuel burnt continues as fire.

6. Salt dissolved in water

Continues to exist as taste;

Sleep dispelled continues as wakefulness.

7. In the same way, although the four levels of speech

Are destroyed along with ignorance,

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8. It’s true, they light the lamp of knowledge

Through their sacrifice,

But this kind of knowledge is a futile exertion.

9. Sleep, while it remains,

Is the cause of one’s dreams; And when it vanishes,

It is the cause of one’s becoming awake. It is sleep that is the cause of both.

10. In the same way,

Ignorance, while it remains, Is the cause of false knowledge; And when it vanishes,

Is the cause of true knowledge.

11. But, living or dead,

This ignorance entangles the individual By binding him

With either slavery or a false sense of freedom.

12. If freedom itself is a kind of bondage,

Why should the word, ‘freedom. be given to it?

13. A child is satisfied

By the death of an ogre in a dream; But it does not even exist for others!

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14. If someone bewails the loss of a broken vase which never existed,

Would we consider that person wise?

15. If bondage itself is unreal,

How can freedom arise from its destruction? This freedom is only something created

By the self-destruction of ignorance.

16. Sadashiva, In the Shiva Sutras,

Has declared that knowledge itself is bondage.

17. It is not that we accept this

Merely because it was said by Shiva or by Krishna; It can be understood

Even if they had not said it.

18. Sri Krishna (in the Bhagavad Gita)

Has elaborately explained how the quality of sattva binds one With the cords of knowledge.

19. If the Self, which is pure Knowledge itself,

Requires the help of another knowledge, Would that not be like the Sun seeking help Of another light?

20. It is meaningless to say that the Self is, itself, Knowledge

If its greatness depends on some knowledge other than Itself. If a lamp desires another lamp To give it light,

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21. Could one who was ignorant of his own existence

Wander about to various countries in search of himself?

22. How might one declare

That he was happy to remember himself After so many days?

23. Also, if the Self,

Who is, himself, pure Consciousness,

Thinks, ‘I am conscious of myself; I am He! Such knowledge would be bondage.

24. This kind of knowledge is deplorable,

Since it conceals the original Knowledge And fosters the illusion of freedom.

25. Therefore, when the ego of the individual is destroyed,

And ignorance vanishes, The four levels of speech,

Which are ornaments of the four bodies, also vanish.

26. When ignorance, being utterly dejected,

Enters the fire of Consciousness Along with her organs,

Nothing remains but the ashes of knowledge.

27. When camphor is dissolved in water, it cannot be seen;

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28. When ashes are smeared on the body,

The loose particles may fall away; But the white coloration remains.

29. Even though the water of a river

May have ceased to flow,

Still, it remains as moisture in the soil.

30. Though one’s shadow may not be seen at noontime,

Still, it remains under one’s feet.

31. So, also, the Knowledge

That swallows everything other than Itself Is merged in the ultimate Reality,

But remains as knowledge.

32. The requirements of the four levels of speech

Cannot be satisfied even by their self-sacrifice. I have satisfied them by bowing my head

At the Holy Feet of the Guru.

33. When the four levels of speech are destroyed,

They remain as that knowledge Which is, itself, a kind of ignorance.

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Chapter Four:

KNOWLEDGE AND IGNORANCE.

Chapter Four is a continuation on the same theme. The understanding of

the nature of reality which arises through discursive thought dispels ignorance, says Jnaneshvar; but that knowledge is, itself, an illusory knowledge compared to the Knowledge synonymous with the absolute Self. The knowledge consisting of logical reasonings and proofs may produce intellectual understanding, but that is merely the other side of the coin of ignorance; such word-knowledge can never produce Knowledge; i.e., the revelation of the Self.

In this respect, Amritanubhav is reminiscent of the writings of some Western seers, like Heraclitus, and particularly Nicholas of Cusa (1401-1464),

who asserted in his book, On Learned Ignorance, that no amount of intellectual knowledge (which he called ‘learned ignorance.) was capable of revealing the Absolute. Like Nicholas, Jnaneshvar takes great pains to explain that, when the absolute Unity is experienced in the mystical ‘vision., all relative knowledge is swallowed up along with ignorance, and only that pure all-encompassing Awareness remains. What had previously been mere ‘understanding. expands to the degree that it transcends itself in a sudden dawning of direct Knowing, beyond the intermediary of the intellect, at once dissolving the distinction between knower and known.

It would appear that, in discrediting intellectual knowledge, Jnaneshvar is, ironically, establishing the futility of his own dissertation; but this is not so. Jnaneshvar acknowledges the usefulness of intellectual understanding, i.e., relative knowledge, as a preparation for Self-realization. He compares such understanding to the awakening from sleep which is, itself, abandoned to the steady state of wakefulness; or to the flame produced by burning camphor, which is, itself, extinguished simultaneous with the annihilation of the camphor. While, in these two analogies, the awakening and the flame are extinguished in the end, both are necessary and essential ingredients in the accomplishment of that end. In the same way, though knowledge is

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extinguished in the realization of the Self, it is necessary to the attainment of that end Jnaneshvar goes on to explain the paradoxical nature of that pure Knowledge,whose utterly unique status precludes any accurate comparisons or analogies. It IS, yet it is a nothing, says Jnaneshvar; It is the eternal Witness which, though producing the appearance of everything, is not Itself a ‘thing. In that pure Awareness, the entire Universe is perceived as a flimsy illusion formed of ‘nothing’ yet He who perceives it is. He is the one and only Reality in whom all the drama of duality takes place. He is the perceiver and the perceived, the knower and the known, the subject and the object, on every stage of worldly experience. Nothing exists but that one Existence, that one pure and undisturbed Awareness; it is He alone who performs all this drama of multiplicity in Himself.

Chapter Four:

KNOWLEDGE AND IGNORANCE

1. By destroying ignorance,

Knowledge reigns supreme

Like the wakefulness that destroys sleep.

2. By looking in a mirror, one perceives his own identity;

But that identity was already there.

3. In the same way, [relative] knowledge gives the understanding

Of the identity of the world and the Self; But it is like using a knife

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4. If a person enters a house,

And then sets it on fire,

He gets burned along with the house. If a thief gets into a sack

And then fastens it shut,

He is bound along with the sack.

5. Fire, in the process of annihilating camphor,

Annihilates itself as well.;

This is exactly what happens to knowledge In the process of destroying ignorance.

6. When the support of ignorance is taken away,

Knowledge spreads

To the extent that it destroys itself.

7. As the wick of an oil-lamp burns to its end,

The flame flares up more brightly than before. But this brightness

Is nothing but its extinction.

8. Is the breast of a woman

At its peak of development or beginning to sag?

Is the jasmine bud in full bloom or beginning to fade? Who can say?

9. The cresting of a wave is but its fall;

The flash of a bolt of lightning Is but its fading.

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10. Likewise, knowledge,

Drinking up the water of ignorance, Grows so large

That it completely annihilates itself.

11. If the final deluge were to occur,

It would engulf all water and space And leave nothing outside of it.

12. If the disk of the Sun

Were to become larger than the Universe, Both darkness and light would merge

In that all-pervading light.

13. Awakening dispels sleep,

And then it dispels itself,

Becoming the steady state of wakefulness.

14. In the same way,

That knowledge which shines

By virtue of the existence of ignorance Is swallowed up by absolute Knowledge.

15. This absolute Knowledge is like

The intrinsic fullness of the Moon, Which is unaffected

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16. Or one might compare It to the Sun,

Which is never illuminated by any other light Nor ever cast into darkness.

17. For that absolute Knowledge also

Is not revealed by another kind of knowledge Or darkened by ignorance.

18. But can that pure Consciousness be conscious of Itself?

Can the eye look at itself?

19. Can space pervade space?

Can fire burn fire?

Can a man climb onto his own head?

20. Can vision perceive itself?

Does taste taste itself? Can sound listen to itself?

21. Can the Sun shine on itself?

Can a fruit enjoy its own sweetness? Can fragrance smell itself?

22. Likewise, that which is Consciousness Itself.

Does not possess the quality of being conscious, And is, therefore, not conscious of Itself.

23. If absolute Knowledge required the aid.

Of some other kind of knowledge [to know Itself], It would be nothing but ignorance.

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24. Light is, of course, not darkness;

But, to itself, is it even light?

25. Likewise, He is neither existence nor nonexistence.

By saying this,

It may seem that I’m saying, ‘He is not’;

26. But, if it were true

That nothing at all exists,

Then who would know that there is nothing?

27. By what means might one prove

The theory of Nihilism?

It is a totally unjustified imputation To the ultimate Reality.

28. If the extinguisher of a light

Were extinguished along with the light, Who would know that there was no light?

29. If a person ceased to be

During the period of sleep,

Who would know that it was a sound sleep?

30. If there is a pot, a pot is perceived,

And if the pot is broken, its brokenness is perceived; And, if there is no pot at all,

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31. It can be seen, therefore,

That he who perceives that there is nothing Does not, himself, become nothing.

The Self has this same unique kind of existence, Beyond both existence and nonexistence.

32. The ultimate Reality

Is neither an object to Itself,

Nor is It an object to anyone else.

Should It then be regarded as nonexistent?

33. If a person falls asleep in a remote forest,

He is unperceived by anyone else. Since he is asleep,

He, too, is unaware of his existence.

34. Nevertheless, he does not become lifeless,

Without existence.

Pure Existence is like this also; It does not fit into the concepts Of ‘existing. or ‘not-existing.

35. When one’s vision is turned inward,

One no longer perceives external objects, But one does not therefore cease to exist And to know he exists.

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36. A very dark-skinned person

May stand in pitch-black darkness;

Neither he nor anyone else may be able to perceive him Still, he certainly exists

And is aware of his existence.

37. However, the existence of the Self

Is not like the existence or nonexistence Of a person;

He exists in Himself in His own way.

38. When the sky is clear of clouds,

It is without form;

But still the sky is there.

39. In a tank, the water may be so clear

That it appears non-existent;

Though one who looks into the tank may not see it, Still, it is there.

40. Similarly,

The ultimate Reality exists in Itself, And is beyond the conceptions Of existence or non-existence.

41. It is like the awakeness that exists

When there is neither a remembrance Of the sleep that has vanished

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42. When a jar is placed on the ground,

We have the ground with a jar; When the jar is taken away,

We have the ground without a jar;

43. But, when neither of these conditions exists,

The ground exists in its unqualified state. It is in this same way

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Chapter Five:

EXISTENCE, CONSCIOUSNESS, BLISS.

In Chapter Five, Jnaneshvar begins with a clari-fication of the age-old

designation of Brahman (the Absolute) as Satchidananda, a composite Sanskrit word made up of Sat (.Existence’or’Being.),Chit (‘Consciousness .) and Ananda (‘Bliss.). It is a useful designation, as Jnaneshvar points out, because it includes in one word three separate aspects, or attri-butes, of the One.

If we say merely that It is Existence, we leave out mention of the fact that It is Consciousness; if we refer to It merely as Consciousness, we leave out mention of the fact that It is pure satisfaction, or Bliss; and so on. But his purpose here is to explain that these three designations are merely hints, and are really inadequate, as all words are, to accurately describe the experience of the Absolute, of Brahman

‘Whatever may be said about Him, says Jnaneshvar, ‘He is not that.

Such words as ‘Consciousness, Existence, Bliss,’ suggest to us those states which are the opposite of ‘unconsciousness, non-existence, and unhappiness’. This is the limitation of all language; it is based upon the dualism of contraries which we experience in the world.

But the Absolute Reality is beyond all contraries, and cannot be expressed in language. We can only say, ‘not this, not that.

Finally, in the last few verses, Jnaneshvar acknowledges that all his wordy outpourings are of no use in affecting anything at all; even such terms as ‘bondage. and ‘liberation. have no meaning in regard to the Self, Who remains always in the same state of Freedom.

Nothing, therefore, is to be accomplished by all his lengthy explanations. The fact is, it is all for his own pleasure and delight in expounding the Truth.

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Chapter Five:

EXISTENCE, CONSCIOUSNESS, BLISS.

1. These three attributes, Sat, Chit, and Ananda

(Existence, Consciousness, and Bliss), Do not actually define Brahman. A poison is poison to others, But not to itself.

2. Shininess, hardness, and yellowness,

Together signify gold.

Stickiness, sweetness, and viscosity, Together signify honey.

3. Whiteness, fragrance, and softness,

Are not three separate things; But only camphor.

4. Camphor is white;

Not only that, it is soft.

And not only that, it is fragrant as well.

5. Just as these three qualities signify

One object camphor, and not three objects; So the three qualities, Sat, Chit, and Ananda, Are contained in one reality.

6. It is true that the words ‘Sat’, ‘Chit’, and ‘Ananda’ are different;

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7. Sat is Ananda and Chit

Or is it that Chit is Sat and Ananda? They cannot be separated;

Just as sweetness cannot be separated from honey.

8. The Moon in the sky appears to pass through

Increasing stages of fullness,

But the Moon is always the same; It is always full.

9. When water is falling in drops,

We can count them;

But when the water is gathered In a puddle on the ground,

It is impossible to count the number of drops.

10. In the same way,

The scriptures describe Reality As Sat, or Existence,

In order to negate Its non-existence. They call It Chit, or Consciousness,

In order to negate Its unconsciousness.

11. The Vedas,

Which are the very breath of the Lord, Declare It to be Ananda, or Bliss,

Only in order to negate the possibility Of pain existing in It.

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12. ‘Non-existence’ is merely the counterpart,

Or opposite, of ‘existence’. The latter word is used

Only to differentiate it from the former.

13. Thus, the word, ‘Sat-chid-ananda’

Used to refer to the Self,

Does not really describe Its nature; But merely signifies

That It is not the opposite of this.

14. Can those objects which are illumined

By the Sun

Illumine the Sun himself?

15. How, then, could speech elucidate That

By the light of which Speech itself is illumined?

16. What means of knowledge would be useful

To the self-illuminating Self,

Who is not an object of anyone’s knowledge And Who has no ability to know?

17. The means of knowledge is limited

By the object of knowledge; It has no use in the case of that Which is the subject.

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18. The fact is, if we try to know That,

The knowledge itself is That. How, then, could the knowledge

And the object of knowledge remain separate?

19. So, the words, ‘Sat, ‘Chit, and ‘Ananda,

Do not denote That;

They are merely inventions of our thought.

20. These well known words, ‘Chit, Sat, and Ananda’

Are popularly used, it is true; But when the knower becomes One with That to which they refer,

21. Then they vanish

Like the clouds that pour down as rain, Or like the rivers which flow into the sea,

Or like a journey when one’s destination is reached.

22. A flower fades

After it gives birth to the fruit; The fruit is gone

After it gives up its juice; And the juice is gone After it gives satisfaction.

23. A hand is drawn back

After the offering of oblations;

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24. A mirror is put aside

After showing to a face its reflection; And a person goes away

After having awakened one who is asleep.

25. Similarly, these three,

Chit, Sat, and Ananda,

After awaking the seer to his Self, Disappear into silence.

26. Whatever may be said about Him

He is not that.

It is not possible to speak about His real nature, Just as it is impossible

For one to measure himself

By taking the measurement of his shadow.

27. For, when the measurer

Becomes conscious of himself, He feels ashamed,

And give us trying to measure himself By his shadow.

28. Of course, what exists cannot be said not to exist;

But can such existence be called ‘Existence’?

29. Can what has become conscious

By destroying unconsciousness Truly be called ‘Consciousness’?

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30. In perfect wakefulness

There is neither sleeping nor waking; Likewise, there is no consciousness In the pure, absolute Consciousness.

31. In blissfulness

There is no feeling of unhappiness;

But, can it, for that reason, be called ‘Bliss’?

32. Existence vanishes along with nonexistence,

Consciousness along with unconsciousness, And bliss along with misery;

In the end, nothing remains.

33. Discarding the veil of duality

And all the pairs of opposites, That alone remains

In Its own blessed state.

34. If we count It as one,

It appears to be something other Than the one who counts

Not from the viewpoint of enumeration, But from the absolute viewpoint, It is One.

35. If It were able

To be something other than Bliss, It could enjoy Bliss.

But, since It is Itself Bliss, How can It enjoy?

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36. When the drum of worship is beaten,

The worshipper hears it as sound. But when there is no worshipper,

That sound of beating does not hear itself.

37. Likewise, He, being Bliss Himself,

Cannot experience His bliss. And, for the same reason,

He is not aware that He cannot.

38. If a face does not look into a mirror,

There is neither a face before it, Nor behind it.

Likewise, He is neither happiness nor misery, But pure Bliss itself.

39. Abandoning all so-called illuminating concepts

As but jabberings in a dream, He conceals Himself

From even His own understanding.

40. Even before the sugar cane is planted,

The juice is within it;

But its sweetness is unknown Except to itself.

41. Even before the strings of the Vina are plucked

The sound is within it;

But that sound remains unknown, Except to itself.

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42. If a flower wished to enter into itself

In order to enjoy its own fragrance, It would have to become a bee.

43. The flavor of food which is yet to be prepared

Is as yet unknown, except to itself.

44. So, can That, which does not even enjoy

Its own blissfulness,

Be tasted or enjoyed by others?

45. When the Moon is overhead at noontime,

She cannot be perceived, except by herself.

46. It is like talking about beauty

Before it is given form,

Or youth before the birth of the body,

Or religious merit prior to any good actions;

47. Or sexual desire before it becomes

Manifest as tumescence;

48. Or the talk about the sound of a Vina

Which is not yet constructed,

And so is unknown, except to itself;

49. Or of fire

Which has not yet contacted fuel, But only itself.

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50. Only those who are able to see

Their own faces without a mirror Are capable of understanding

The secret of the self-reflecting Reality.

51. Such talk as this

Is like discussing the harvest in storage Before the seeds have been sown.

52. Pure Consciousness is beyond

Both generalizations and particular statements; It remains ever content in Itself.

53. After such a discourse,

That speech is wise

Which drinks deeply of silence.

54. It can be seen that the various methods of proof

Have accepted their own unprovability; And analogies have solemnly declared Their inability to represent the Reality.

55. The various arguments have dissolved themselves

Because of their own invalidity,

And the assembly of definitions has dispersed.

56. All of the various means,

Having proved futile, have departed; And the experience itself

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57. Thought, along with its intent, has died,

Like a courageous warrior In the cause of his master;

58. And understanding,

Ashamed of its own mode of knowing, Has committed suicide.

The experience − abandoned to itself alone Is like one beaten and crippled in battle.

59. When the crust

Of a piece of talc is peeled off, The talc itself disappears.

60. If a plantain tree, troubled by the heat,

Casts off its outer layers, How shall it stand erect?

61. Experience depends on the existence

Of the experienced and the experiencer. When both of these vanish,

Can the experience alone experience itself?

62. Of what use are words

When even the experience Dissolves itself in this way?

63. How can words describe the supreme Reality

Where even the subtlest speech itself disappears, And there is left no trace of sound?

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64. Why should there be any talk

About waking a person who is already awake? Does one begin to cook his food

After he has taken his meal and become satisfied?

65. When the Sun rises,

The light of the lamps is not needed. Is there a need for a plough

At the time of harvest?

66. Truly, there is neither bondage nor freedom;

There is nothing to be accomplished. There is only the pleasure of expounding

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Chapter Five: THE INEFFICACY OF THE WORD. Introductory Note.

In this Chapter, Jnaneshvar praises the glory of the ‘word’ as a means of recalling, through speech, the awareness of the Self. The word is the means whereby we transform the one Consciousness into thought, destroy our ignorance, and lead ourselves once again to the pure Consciousness of the Self. But, as Jnaneshvar points out, in that pure Awareness Itself, the word is superfluous, and moreover, futile. That pure Knowledge called the Self always IS, always remains..

Therefore, he asks, where is this thing called ‘ignorance’ which is to be banished by the word? It is but an imaginary superimposition upon the one Reality. Jnaneshvar then enters into an elaborate discussion of the paradoxical nature of ignorance (ajñāna). While knowledge is obscured, ignorance has the semblance of existence; but when the true Knowledge is experienced, ignorance is nowhere to be found; it is seen to be a chimera with no real existence. It is but the contrary of knowledge. Elsewhere, in other contexts, Jnaneshvar does not hesitate to use the word, ‘ignorance’, as though it were a definitive reality to be dispelled by knowledge; but here, his purpose is to reveal its essential illusoriness, i.e., its nonreality.

His intention, of course, is to reveal That which does exist by negating what does not exist. In his own unmistakable style, he spouts analogy after homely analogy to bring home his point, leaving the mind boggled and reeling under the weight of the many word-pictures trooped out to support his relentless logic.

The concept that ignorance is the impediment to Self-knowledge, and must be destroyed by knowledge, has a long history in the Vedantic tradition. It was often stated in the writings of the great 8th century Vedantist, Shankara, and had no doubt become, by Jnaneshvar’s time, a hackneyed formula in the mouth of every jaybird philosopher. Great truths lose their significance and efficacy when they become mere formulized phrases to be repeated by schoolboys; and it was Jnaneshvar’s purpose in taking up this

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subject to turn the old formulas inside out, and to stir the mind from its complacent rut, to a genuine self-inquiry.

In every time, those who have experience the Self are faced with the legacy of past expressions of this knowledge which have become calcified, as it were, into stone walls of tradition, standing in the way of real self-inquiry. The teachings of the Vedas, of the Buddha, and of Shankara, which burst those walls of complacent doctrine in their own times, themselves became in time bulwarks of meaningless doctrine which also had to be burst asunder by subsequent seers. In speaking of the Self, words, after all, are inadequate, and are therefore always open to contradiction.

It is thus the perennial task of the enlightened to negate old terminologies, made meaningless by long familiarity, in order to jar awake the minds of men from their complacent slumber Jnaneshvar is just such an enlightened teacher. He appears to have demolished the old concepts of Shankara and the Vedantists, but the astute student will easily perceive that, when all the destruction is through and the dust has settled once more, Jnaneshvar has brought us to the same destination to which Shankara led us. After demolishing the old terms, ‘knowledge, and ‘ignorance’ he points the way to the same inexpressible and supramental Knowledge to which Shankara pointed us. After denying the Vedantic concept of ‘superimposition, he leads us to the same two-in-One to which Shankara guided us.

The terminologies of entrenched doctrine are continually being revealed as deceptive, and discarded by each new generation of seers like men attempting to peel the skins from a never-decreasing onion; yet the unnameable Truth which all are striving to reveal is one and the same, ever eluding their attempts to capture It in language.

Like all others before or after him who had succeeded in unwrapping the jewel of Self-knowledge, Jnaneshvar, in his attempt to reveal that jewel naked of wraps, succeeds only in presenting it wrapped in yet another fabric of mere words. Yet, his words, like those of other great teachers in possession of that jewel, possess an intrinsic transparency through which

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the luster of Truth shines forth, exciting us with its beauty and inspiring in us the desire to make it our own.

Chapter Six:

INEFFICACY OF THE WORD.

1. When something is forgotten,

Either by ourselves or by another, We are reminded of it by the word Which we use to represent it.

2. If it had no other glory than this, however,

The word would not have so much value.

3. But the word,

Which, as everyone knows, Serves as a reminder,

Is, in fact, a very useful thing. It is not a mirror which reflects What has no form?

4. It is no great wonder that what is visible

May be seen in a mirror;

But, in the mirror of the word, What is invisible may be seen.

5. What the rising Sun is to the sky,

The word is to the sky of the Infinite; That sky is illumined